I do not disagree with the usefulness of influenza vaccination – especially in vulnerable populations and for healthcare providers.
I do disagree with getting ‘flu shots’. Strongly.
Flu shots provide very limited protection when viruses have changed slightly – and that’s basically what the influenza viruses do for a living.
They also give short term protection that blocks the formation of long term immunity to strains that might become much more dangerous with a very slight mutation that your immune system would accomodate if it had been exposed to and reacted to the entire virus.
So, I suggest getting FluMist – the nasal vaccine – instead of the shot.
If I can’t get a dose of FluMist I intend to get the flu instead of getting the shot.. That’s how strongly I feel about the future immunity issue.
And, as you listen to those endless public service announcements about the Flu Season and getting protected with a shot, I would like you to ask yourself if those who are paying for those advertisements really care about you, or making sure the vaccine manufacturers stay in business.
Anyway, that’s my two cents worth.
You can read more about my opinion at – Flu Shots – Set Up For Pandemic Death? Try FluMist™ Instead.
For those who are concerned about the toxicity of the various flu vaccines I’m going to provide a link to this web page.
The only comment I will make, as I really haven’t had a chance to think about the data provided, is that how much of something is the important consideration. Some of the ingredients listed don’t cause me a lot of concern for adults. However, it is my opinion that there are some things that probably should never be given to people – especially children and pregnant women.
Remember, I’m a pharmacist – not a physician – and crazy as a loon. Talk it over with your Doc. Then make an informed decision. Pharmacists Pharmacist and Physicians Physician.
Take care.
Where are your references? Do you have stock in MedImmune? Did you choose Flumist because it is a live vaccine? Please elaborate!
Zole,
since I see you are posting from a blog where the pharmacists are pharmds, i won’t waste my time with the references crap… if you were paying attention in class you would know the info presented here is the foundation info they teach about influenza vaccines. if you’ve been paying attention to the articles published in the cdc’s emerging infectioous diseases journal you’d also know that there has been some indication that immunity from immunizations may be lasting longer, and that is surprising enough to them to warrent significant comment.
no, i do not own any medimmune stock. in fact, i think they’ve been bought out a couple of times and you couldn’t own their stock if you wanted to. and, no… i do not know or care enough to research who owns them now. i don’t own stock in anyone’s company.
yes, i like flumist because it is a live vaccine and has been shown to provide better protection than the shots. the posting tries to explain why in laymans terms. you do not need that simplification if you were paying attention in school. i’m sure you can track down the supporting studies and their details as well as i can. i’ve read them once, heard the data presented at an influenza conference, and heard the docs discuss their own experiences.
if you don’t agree after reviewing the literature then we will just have to agree to disagree.
i never get my shot. sometimes get flumist. never get the flu. neither do my peers who follow this regimen. and we work in the hospital’s emergency room dealing with flu patients all season. but the lemings who line up every year to get their shots… well, let’s just say they use up a lot of sick leave in the flu season.
you’d do well to hug a flu patient yourself this year. start early and do it often… a reference yu should read – with attention to the propsed reason health care workers didn’t die at the same rate as the rest of the population during the 1918 spanish flu catastrophe – is found here http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/18/2/10-2042_article.htm. yes, that’s the cdc’s publication.
i do not mean to be short with you.. but i’m busy, and so are my readers. please don’t waste everyone’s time.